“The change in Apple’s forecasting method — from a single number for the quarter to a range of values, and with no EPS estimate offered anymore — is ‘generally’ something to be ‘concerned’ about, he writes,” Ray reports. “‘That being said, Apple does face an unprecedented challenge of managing a vast sell-side community with outliers that can skew consensus quite a bit, [he wrote].'”

Ray reports, “[Reitzes wrote], ‘While the tone was a bit of a concern given underlying concerns around competition, execution and some major gaps in Apple’s product line, we do believe there were some major positives in the quarter like strong cash flow and a conservative margin outlook that could “grow on” investors now that the damage is done.'”

Sorry folks but this won’t help either. It is so insanely stupid to listen to all these theories and ignore the elephant in the room. His name is Tim Cook. Until he’s left the building for good, it’s not going to get better and accounting tricks will make the company look just that more desperate. The answer is staring us all in the face yet we keep looking around for something else. Stupid is as stupid does.

And why is getting rid of Tim Cook such a hot idea? He wasn’t able to come up with another earth shattering tech paradigm only a year and some months after Steve Jobs died when Steve himself didn’t do that except over 3-6 year periods in between? Every company needs periods to capitalize on their R&D on a new device. I suspect that a new category might come by the end of the year. Patience is a virtue.

Wow, you sure have a vendetta against Tim Cook, which is fine there is nothing wrong with voicing your opinion again and again and again, ad nauseum, freed speech and all that.

How about some diversity, I mean I enjoyed reading your post about your experience and challenge getting a new iMac, but really your diatribe, apart from being redundant stands alone. Surely you have something else to say on another Apple topic.

Oh and I don’t think all that heap of money Apple made last quarter is an accounting trick. I’ve seen similar reactions by Wall street when Steve Jobs (and others) were at the helm. It did not bother me then, and it doesn’t bother me know. The stock is going to slowly go up, maybe just maybe it won’t hit $400.

@ppeterson – Tim Cook has been running the company since 2009. Why weren’t you saying that he is stupid when the shares were rallying to $700? Can you tell us what he has in store for the rest of the year? New products? A China Mobile deal?

I am not an insider and have no answer to such questions, but have been shocked by the number of ‘Apple should do this’ or ‘Apple shouldn’t have done that’ comments from uninformed people in recent months. They suddenly become ‘experts’ after the share price fell from its all-time high.

Tim Cook has been great about being aggressive in the tablet space but in the smartphone space he is moving too slow. He should of had a 4.8 inch smartphone out already as well as a cheaper phone for China Mobile. Also stop with the Black and White phones – people want something new and different to impress their friends that they have the latest model. Thats the reality that Smartphones are also a fashion accessory.

I’m certainly with you on the larger phone and the more affordable phone. Moving slow is absolutely right. If they currently had a larger phone to go along with the current iPhone five, the larger phone would be a winner hands down. No competition. And while they sell the iPhone fives they are not selling them to people who want a larger form factor. Those buyers are missing. And Apple is getting further and further behind in that part of the consumer market. Don’t know about fashion accessories? Seeing as how everyone who wants a smart phone is not 40 years old and older, perhaps different colored phones is the way to go? Different sizes and colors certainly worked for the iPod line.

What if Apple sells iPhones attached to its own cellular network that is seamless worldwide? What if Apple does a TV that delivers all content via cellular? Apple redesigned your digital life, your mobile life, your living room life,,, next the automobile, your kitchen, your bedroom? I think analysts are such mere mortals that they cannot understand how a company with reinventing life can do so because all they invent are opinions.